Well, I hope you all bear with me. It seems I'm kinda falling out of this whole story, but I'm forcing mehself to write it. I hope you enjoy the chapter, it's not one of my favorite, yet it adds to the story kinda, I guess. Makes Troy a better charrie for sure. Other then that, not many advancments in the plotting, yet... This story will be ending soon probably... Anyways, onward!

Chapter 19

Troy fell in slow motion. Even before the words had escaped Draco's mouth, he knew that later he'd regret this. His heart filled with pleasure, only to be replaced with emptiness as he realized that he had managed to do something to Hermione. But where had he sent her? Where could he have possibly…?

Taking a blind run out of the room, making sure he stepped hard on Troy, he ran to her rooms, yelling the password and rushing in. And there she was. Laying on her bed, feet dangling in the air as she looked at a book. She looked as though she'd been there for years. Her brown locks already tumbled over her face gently, and as she glanced up at him, he thought he could melt right there and then. This had to be the happiest moment of his life. A small sigh of relief escaped from his lips as he looked at her very confused looking face.

"Malfoy, I leave your stupid room alone." She scowled at him, brow furrowing.

"Sorry." He says, twitching slightly, unsure of how to explain this. Shrugging it off, he turns, walking into his own dorm with his pride injured. How had Troy managed that? Turning before reaching his door, he stuck his head back into her room cautiously, "Hermione, is there a spell that would allow someone to make it appear a person was there-but they actually weren't?"

Hermione looked up at him somewhat confused, then nodding. "Yeah, there is. Why?" He just shook his head, listening as she continued, "Called a simulacra. A copy. The more advanced magic can make them talk and think the same. Most just look and act though."

Accepting this, Draco turned. Walking into his room more slowly, the silver and green colors greeted him sullenly. He had begun hating these colors again.


Hermione shook her head. Everyday he got odder and odder to her. Yet she didn't mind as much now. Her conversation with the portrait had been quite comforting to her. Now, she looked at her life from the view of a spectator. Like looking through glass at the animals at the muggle zoos.

Pieces of the puzzle she had solved. Like with the diary, she knew now why Narcissi stopped writing. It scared her to think how that had been managed. Maybe that's what would happen to her. Not if she could help it. She wasn't about to let the Malfoy's get away with something like that. She wondered if Draco knew what they had plotted. She wondered if Draco cared. But if her thoughts were sane, she knew she could figure this out. Somehow she would. If you're going to die, die like a lion. And if you make it through, you'll never forget it.


Hermione had to know for sure. Some kind of confirmation. Any would do at this point. She had to know what happened on the night of the last entry in that journal.

Walking as fast as she could down the hallway, she looked into Dumbledore's stairway. This place had always freaked her out… "Lemon Sherbet." She runs in, dashing on the stairs, and waiting for the top to appear.

As she walked in, her hand trailed over the books along the shelves. Pictures of other Head Masters hung on the walls, many sleeping and dotting about as though in a trance. Maybe it was the time of day. Head Masters tended to like lunch time, and probably went off to do their own little painting minded things.

Her hand wandered to scratch Fawke's chin, as he was just starting to mature, only to molt though. She looked up, sensing someone watching her, and forced a smile, seeing Dumbledore.

"Ah, yes, I see you've cared to read other entries?" Dumbledore daintily dusted the crumbs off his robe, a smile curling around his lips like the Cheshire cat.

Hermione gave another nod, feeling slightly uncomfortable around Dumbledore.

"So I suppose you suspect foul play?" He asks lightly.

She nodded again.

"Would this have something to do with the Malfoys' perhaps?"

Hermione gave another nod, feeling like a petty girl right then.

"Well, in that case, I guess the logical thing a person could do would be to look up a spell or two in the dark arts section. You never know what you'll find in there." He looked at her, eyes silently shining with pleasure. "That is, if you were logical."

She smiled, taking the hint. "So… There was a foul play?"

Dumbledore looked down, almost sweating it seemed, then looked up again, collected. "Only in the heart, Miss Granger. Only with hearts…" With that, he glanced down, in a silent dismissal.

Just as she turned to walk out though, she heard him clear his throat. "Miss Granger? There may be someone waiting for you in your room. I suppose you might want to talk to him. Word is he's missed you." The playful glint in his eyes suggested she'd be interested in whom ever had decided to show up Perhaps it would help her solve this whole foul play with the Malfoys. Just their name left a sour taste in her mouth. Something told her she did need to see who ever was in there, waiting. She walked out as calmly as she could, then not being able to help it, she booked. Running as fast as she could towards her quarters. She mumbled her password, flung open the door, and let her mouth gape as she saw who had been waiting for her.

He didn't look much different, from this view. He was taller, taller then she for sure. His hair had turned a rusty red brown, like an autumn leaf. Still though, in his eyes burned the brightness she had seen on that day during the summer. She was choking on her words, "R-Ron?"

He looked at her, tilting his head curiously. "'Mione?"

She could only nod as she looked on at him. "When?"

"Today, I came straight here. Didn't even unload at the burrow." He smiled, standing, bowing to her. "They don't do that in America you know. They shake hands, and they're loud. Rude almost, how much noise they make."

"Is that where you went?" She was still in shock, and watched as he closed the space between them. Her hand reached out to trace around his jaw. She had trouble believing he was here. Finally…

He grinned, taking her hand in his. "Yeah, brought you something too." He pulled from his robes a small book. "Shakespeare. He looked like the type you'd like." He handed it to her, seeing the cover. Romeo & Juliet

Happiness overwhelmed her as she flung her arms around him. "I've missed you so much!" His arms folded around her, squeezing around her waist.

"So-what's been going on?"

Her mind was spinning. "A lot." That's all she could manage for now. How was she supposed to explain everything? Was his temper just as bad as it used to be? Would he be mad at Harry-Draco? Everyone. She pulled from him, sitting on her bed, feeling him sit next to her. She leaned in on him.

"I've got the time." His hand trailed softly through her hair, fingers enjoying the softness.

Slowly, she went through the things. She was amazed. He restrained his anger to the simple clenching of a hand. She 'skipped' over the part about her and Harry, but was forced to tell him by his look. She hated that about Ron. He always knew when she wasn't telling him something.

Still though, the pain had built inside her, and as she finished, it was taking everything she had not to break down crying like a little baby. She didn't want to do that to Ron. He was so much more grown up now, and deserved the respect she wanted to give him. Yet she couldn't help but cling to him, knowing that somehow he'd understand. When he listened, he understood, though in the past he had never listened. Not the listen she needed now anyway.

Ron's hand grasped the blanket on her bed, his breathing angrily calm. Like he was restraining himself. Hermione looked away, standing up to go to her box. From it, she pulled out a set of new quills. She handed them to Ron quietly. "I was going to give this to you… But you hadn't came back."

His hand let go of the blanket, reaching out to hold the small box of quills gently. "I can't take these, you need them more." He pushed them back towards her.

Hermione glared at him firmly. "I got them for you, and if you don't want them, I'll give them to Draco." Her eyes lit up slightly when she mentioned him, head in turmoil, but not as much as usual.

Ron's alert system suddenly went off. He didn't know why he was suddenly aware of her actions, but he was. "What did you say?"

"I said I'd give them to Draco." Still her eyes danced with joy as she tried to harden her gaze while looking up at him.

Ron's hand lifted under her cheek, pointing her head towards his eyes more directly. "Draco?"

She nodded; unaware of what her eyes were doing, though still trying not to look like his name affected her.

"'Mione…" He didn't know how to word it without hurting her though. Or hurting himself. He didn't want to face the reality of what her eyes told him. Even him, stupid old Weasley could tell that she was falling for Draco. Many times had he seen that look in Jenny's eyes when looking at Harry. Although now, he wasn't so sure as to what she would think of him. Holding her tightly, he let his hands fall through her hair. He didn't want what he was seeing to be true. When Ron had seen her run through the door, brown hair whipped back, he couldn't help but love her. And now… He sighed, still holding her, arms locked around her waist, face buried in the crook of her neck.

"Oh 'Mione… How you've changed…" He whispered gently into her ear.

She let her hand play with the hairs on the nape of his neck. "Things like this usually do that to you." Hermione rested her head gently against his shoulder, feeling his breathing so gentle. "Ron, I miss the old days…"

He nodded, breath sliding down her collar. "Me too."

And that's how the day ended. They talked. Ron had been all over apparently. New York, he was fond of. He spoke of places all over, where even her books hadn't told her of. She laid in bed, looking up at his profile in the dim light of her lamp. She could see the beginning hairs on his upper lip. Faintly, she remembers him kissing her forehead, turning out the light, and walking out…


The dreams left her alone, yet to Draco, he lived one. Out for his ride, he shuddered, remembering those words Konami had spoke to him. Hopefully, he would never see him again. Most people don't. His only savior was the man who had come across him. Not that he'd admit it. Personally, he would've rather died. Yet fate had a way of pissing him off to the point that he didn't care. Sighing, he leaned against the cobble stone walls, eyes cast down, forearm resting on it gently. He didn't want to turn. He didn't want to walk down those stairs, hear his echoing steps, so lonely in the corridors. He didn't want to do any of that. Yet, in his heart, he knew, if he didn't, she would die. And he would do anything, give anything, his own life if it meant it, to make sure she survived… Anything.

Dun-Dun-Dun! Lol, anyways, I'll keep writing...

Synafrass Wild: You have to upload as a text document, not a word.

JeanB: Ahhh, happy moments soon... XD

indecisivepunk: Suspensie ish good... :)

Fiery Slut: Yeah, I wanted another view on Harry... -.-'' Sorry for ending it there, hope this one isn't so much of a cliff-hanger.

XtremeGirl:Good to have ya back. ^^

purplelily: Not sure about whether it's happy or sad o.O

Lucent Dusk: Nothing happened to Ron, well, his family moved. Later I'll explain why, though it's not that big of a deal... Anyways, hope it gets a little more simpler for you

puckit88: Lol, had to have a good cliff hanger. xD Sorry it was such a big one. I'm thinking of having Troy die, perhaps....

QuistisTrepe1402: Hehe, well, she didn't go anywhere, really... -Malicious grin-

liar: -huggles- Hehe, yeah, they're'll be more them action soon. I shall get a little bit of guts finally and write a chapter with them actually enteracting. I just need to set up the plot for the final chapters. They'll be suspensful...

roswellwbfan: The portraits someone familiar, if you'd like to tinker with that. And as for the girl... -Evil grin- Yes, Troy will get a kick in again though, he is Slytherin.